With coaches around the country calling for more rules and regulations when it comes to Name, Image, and Likeness, three U.S Senators are deep in discussion in the creation of a new bill that would address NIL issues.
The bipartisan bill is being put together by senators Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Cory Booker, D-N.J.
According to a report from Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY, the bill would create a new entity called the “College Athletics Corporation.” This corporation would have the power to regulate college athletics regarding NIL and other issues and the ability to conduct investigations and subpoena powers.
The corporation will also create a public database that will include mandatory data that would have to be provided by schools, which would consist of “the number, average and total value of athlete endorsement contracts, all broken down by sport, race and ethnicity, and gender.”
The bill would not only cover NIL issues but more as well. It will also include medical trust funds for athletes who suffer injuries while playing and four years after their collegiate careers end. Those athletes who suffer “significant long-term conditions related to their participation in college athletics” would also be covered.
It would also require athletic trainers and team physicians to be “independent from the athletic department” and have the ultimate say over return-to-play decisions. “Third parties” would be allowed to give athletes “reasonable” food, rent, medical expenses, insurance, and transportation for either themselves, friends, or family members when they are experiencing a “physical or mental health concern,” but also participating in an athletic event as well.
Another significant note from the bill would be college athletes being able to return to college sports even after going through a professional draft as long as they don’t take money from the league, a team, or an agent. Athletes would have up to seven days after the conclusion of their draft to announce their intention to resume their collegiate careers.
You can read more about the potential bill in Berkowitz’s report on USA TODAY. Here are some of the other major news stories from the college sports world and the College Wires.